Visit from the Whitesides

Eliza, Nick, Meg and Nan crossed the Atlantic (we're practically neighbours now!) for the weekend. We were as active as I could be.....shopping (Nick spoiling me for presents! Such a purrrrfect man ;), I had a bath in the hotel, eating out, watching DVDs, recruiting Eliza to make us a banana cake and us eating it!


The wonders of black and white photography....(with colour we would just scare the young folk)

Introducing...........Dr Dorien de Groot

Friday 19 January, Dorien was awarded her Dr of philosophy-- Hoera! The graduation ceremony for Phds here has similarities to a wedding: aisle procession with attendants, answering questions, a little speech by a man in a dress, recession and afterwards tea, cake and presents.

with the new Mr & Dr de Groot

with the paranimphen (bridesmaids/groomsmen)

The calm before the storm?

Maybe I'm getting a bit impatient waiting waiting waiting

The progress of the belly: growing, kicking and hiccupping.


These are Days of my life: like an paris hilton-type heiress, without the money and clothes and body. What's left? Tea dates, dinner soirees, shopping, napping, time for hobbies.

Silly season closed

Christmas till new year, it all went by with little fuss, lots of food and good company. Happy and exhausted = content.

Good beers, fine whiskey, ok champagne, and Maalox forte (antacid drink) made it all special

My antenatal class

I appear to be trying to push out my belly, yes I have belly envy. One of the smallest in the class. I'm a bit of a study nerd, not learning nothin' new at these classes, read it all in books at home. And when douwe came along for the partner puffing/panting class, I had to restrain his under-the-breath remarks (mainly "that's ridiculous"), the teacher being a little hippy-ish. At least I didn't hear what a friend heard at these classes; that

you must feel the pain to be able to bond with the baby

...I might just get violent with comments like that.

Bad Parent

Last night I watched TV and there was angry shouting dialogue and the baby started kicking a lot. Immediately, I felt guilty and turned off the sound, watched the subtitles and started singing happy songs. oh, the responsibility.

"I'm not a girl, not yet a woman" party

...in the wise words of Ms. B. Spears.

The weekend!

What does a weekend mean to an unemployed housewife? So tiring. Morning:job hunting; Afternoon:shopping, coffee; Evening:pooped, too tired to cook, let fingers do the walking and book a table for 2. (Below: Look at my big lamb's shank; Ice skating in the centre of nijmegen! In the midst of a warm winter, totally unnatural ice and therefore a bit disturbing but still picturesque)

Stereotype quiz. Are you...
unemployed- yes
pregnant- yes
barefoot- nope!!!
I have new shoes and earmuffs! Took them out for a walk, got bogged down.

Our couches are here!

After >1 month of sitting on a gym ball and 2 lime green fatboys our new couches finally arrived (insert Joyous reaction here): our first guests had to help shift them, attach the feet but after the work they were allowed to sit.

Dessert that night...cute baby pineapples (baby anythings are cute) and mango brulee with vanilla ice cream.

D-Day/Going away dinner #2/sIlly seasoN #5

unemployed :( But strangely I'm happy :) Going away dinner #2 with workmates was festive and I did get a little sentimental...


Goodbye my robot friend I'll miss you too.

PS I spent the first day of unemployment (finishing off stuff) working, starting at 4:00 am.
PPS Unfinished work: finding out why the toilet smells bad after the cleaner cleans it.

SillY SeaSon #4

I have indulged this week, because....just because.
Chinese Roast pork- carefully nurtured to crackling perfection in the top shelf of my oven, Isaan Thai Banquet (10 seconds of pleasure and a few minutes of pain- it's worth it)

Breakfast: Warm Chelsea buns with glazed goodness, smoked salmon & asparagus quiche, salmon & guacamole thingies, goats cheese & balsamic onion tartlets, troupical fruit platter with the queenly mangosteen (I love you) & Bugles (chips I love but never [normally] buy)

Yummy-licious creme brulee, Duck spring rolls: different but delectable

Thanks all for the calls, sms's and emails- if you didn't, leave a message in the comments!!! It was a quiet day (a PJ day), but still warm and fuzzy ;)
There was no wild party, that's why Ingrid (birthday 5 days prior) and I are in pyjamas blowing out candles.

You can take the girl out of emu park/yeppoon but....Let's just say table manners flew out the window when we were having fun.

No hangover, but talking till the wee hours will have the same effect

Happy & Lucky & 29 (Silly Season #4)

Thanks for coming (from so far away) !!!

The month of birthdays

It's terrible, The Month of Birthdays. It all happens so quickly I'm always prone to forget one. So I'm going to cheat and do them all at once! (I'm sure I've still misseed some)

My pa

Tyrita

Ingrid (BTW ingrid, this photo is captioned as: Touring Inala!!)

Dennis(the one with his eyes open)

Laura

Koongkoong & Amah

Me, my Twin, and Alvin all on the same day!

Dave and Nick

Samir (with a gratuitous appearance by my husband- both looking quite fine)

Wedding Anniversary Mustafa and Anke


Aunty Sally
Aunty Daisy
DanMan

Silly SEason #3 Leaving Work Dinner (#1)

One More week to go!!! We had a totally enjoyable dinner @ Appels&Peren with my immediate group members past and present. Beginning from me clockwise is Virginie, Bas, Leo (Boss), Luisa, Miguel, Nardy (hidden) and Douwe (who is the only one trying to following my instructions to "look SPARKLING!!".

the details in this restaurant were so disarmingly charming (I got a bonus choc muffin for the entree when I explained I was saving my precious little stomach space for the dessert) and the food was Sa-tis-fy-ing and prepared with lurve. At least that what I felt from the food. I mean, look at the dessert platter: for the one who cannot choose, you can have it all.

Silly Season #2 The All-you-can-eat Pancake Boat

We had a suprise invitation to Renee's yearly Kabuki day: In spirit, kind of like Festivus - an event invented by one family and really only fully understood by that one family! I understand the concept. You do something you've never done before (and never will do again?): Pannenkoekenboot (Pancake Boat)
and playing cheesy party games in a cafe.

Us and Captain Pancake

All you can eat pancakes with a multitude of toppings while the boat chugs along the river for 1 hour. I'm ashamed all I could eat was 3.

Silly Season #1 Christmas Tiramisu in November? Ridicuros!

I Love silly season. It's not really that much of a recognised phenomenon in my orbit, and I miss it so I'm doing my best to foster its growth. Excess, indulgence, luxury, decadence, hedonism, it's all welcome for a period until the New Year.
Here's the opening event: Delectable whole egg and mascarpone Christmas Tiramisu (traditional Vellinga Christmas Day Dessert) in November on a regular night dinner? A modest but definite start. Message for Dirk: that piece was for you, too bad you weren't here to claim it, enjoy hawaii :P.